Compression tubing coupling



Feb. 4, 1936. E. H. Koel-1ER COMPRESSI-ON TUBING COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D60. 17, 1.950

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ATTORNEYS Feb. 4, 1936*. E H KOCHER 2,029,325 Y COMPRESSION. TUBING- COUPLING Filed Deo. 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ,MIN

INVENTOR ATTORNEYSr ing sleeve is preferably rigidly mounted therein VPatented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED) STATES 2,029,325 y CoMPnEssIoN TUBING COUPLING Edward H. Kocher, Boonton, N. J., assignor to Auto Research Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application December` 17, 1930, Serial No. 502,900

tomatic machinery and at small cost, which is."

self-aligning and has substantially no tendency to cock, which serves to hold the pipe rigidly in.

position during attachment thereof without twisting strain thereon, which effects a particularly secure and fluid-tight connection and which is capable of ready disconnection without muti- A feature of the invention consists of the utilization of a tapered coupling sleeve or structure preferably with double and opposite tapers and of coacting clamping members, all of which .encircle the pipe end and one of which is rigid with a juncton or mounting structure, serves to align the coupling sleeve or structure eliminating any tendency thereof to cock and grips it so as to prevent turning thereof, while` the other is screwed into position to clamp the whole coupling structure together with the conduit or pipe end.

In a preferred embodiment the junction or mounting structure is provided with a contacting frustrated conical shelfor depression which is at substantially the same angle to the axis of the coupling arrangement as the cooperating face of the coupling sleeve and serves to form a Wedging contact with the same over a substantial area' surrounding or at a substantial radius away-from the pipe or conduit.A On the other hand, the turning mounting element, namely the coupling nut, cap or bushing, is so shaped as to avoid the possibility of 'wedging contact with the sleeve and is provided with' a cooperating wedging or coupling edge which clamps or crimps the coupling sleeve over a very narrow area fairly close to the' outer wall of the pipe or conduit.

In the case of a nipple mount, a steel reinforcto serve as the abutment forthe tapered coupiing device or sleeve and incidentally to constitute a stop for the end of the pipe.

In the application of the terminal construction to the connection of a pipe to a drip plug of the general construction'shown in the prior Bijur Patent No. 1,632,772, the saidreinforcing sleeve may also serve the function of clamping the periphery of the felt strainer.

In the drawings in which are Shown one 9i 4nnt' bushing 20, now to be described.

more of the various possible embodiments of 'the several features of the invention:

Figs. 1 and 2 show one coupling arrangement, Fig. 1 being Aan enlarged, exploded view in longitudinal section of the arrangement, and Fig. 2 5' being a side view in fragmentary section, showing an application thereof; v

Figs. 3, 3A and 4 show another embodiment, Fig. 3 being an enlarged, exploded view of the coupling arrangement, Fig. 3A being a trans- 10 verse sectional view upon the line 3A-3A of Fig. 3, and Fig. 4 being a side view in fragmentary section, showing an application thereof;

and

Figs. 5 and 6 are views in longitudinal section 15 of typical T and a terminal ow metering devices, respectively, showing the pipe coupling arrangements. l

Fig. 7 4is a view in longitudinal section of a coupling after the coupling nut has been screwed in position and the coupling sleeve has been deformed into the end of the tubing or into the` pipe end. v

In Fig. 1 the mounting structure I0, which may be part of a junction, a ow metering deviceor a bearing element, is provided with a bore II, the outer portion of which is enlarged at I2 to form a shoulder I3, serving as an abutment for the pipe end I4. Communicating with the'bore II is a machine tapped socket I5 which 30 joins the enlargement by means of a sloping shelf, bevel, or depression I6, said shelf or bevel having approximately the form of a frustrated conical surface with an apical angle of about 55 degrees in the embodiment shown. Encircling the pipeend Il and adapted to be inserted within the socket I5 is the coupling vsleeve I1 which is provided with the tapered ends I8 and I9, each of which are approximately frustrated conical sections with apical angles of approximately 50 0,

degrees, in the embodiment shown, the conical surface Is serving to cooperate with the ooniooi surface I8 and the conical surface I8 serving to contact with a clamping edge 2l of a coupling -The coupling bushing or nut 20 is provided with a central bore 22 which is somewhat larger in diameter than the externalV diameter of the pipe end Il; with a countersink 23 serving to 50 enable more ready insertion of the pipe end; with a hexagonal head 2l; with a machine threaded portion. adapted to cooperate with .the tapped socket I5; and with a coupling edge or round 2l encircled by a frustrated conical de- 55 pipe ends id to a T head 28 which may be mounted vin any satisfactory manner, as by a threaded stem 29. It will be noted that the coupling nut 22 contacts with the coupling sleeve I1 over a much smaller area and much closer to the axis of the mounting than does the mount ing structure 28.

In Fig. 3 is shown another embodiment of the coupling structure in which the coupling nut instead of telescoping within a tapped socketed mounting structure I0 embracesl and screws upon the outside of a threadednipple 'I0' serving as a cap therefor, similarly functioning parts in Fig. 3 being designated by the same numerals as in Fig. 1 but primed., In this particular embodiment the boreI I of the nipple I 0' is enlarged adjacent the en d of the nipple to form a socketA of the embodiment of Fig. 1, an angle of approxii mately 55 degrees.

Upon Fig. 4 is shown an application of the coupling arrangement of Fig. 3, in this instance shown 'as a coupling element 42 adaptedto connect together the vpipe ends I4', the left hand side showing the -coupling arrangement in sect'on and the right hand side showing a side view thereof. It will be noted here also that the coupling nut 20' contacts at its coupling edge or round 2|' with but a small portion of the conical i'ace I8' of the coupling sleeve, while the coupling surface I9' contacts with the clamping bevel I 6' over a wider surface about the pipe I4 or at a greater effective radius.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown the utilization of the coupling arrangement of Fig. 3 for the attachment of pipe ends to drip plug ttings of lubricating systems, Fig. 5 showing a fitting of the T type while Fig. 6 shows a fitting of the straight or terminal type. In` the case of the straight drip plug of Fig. 6, the coupling nut 20' screws upon the machine threaded nipple I52 which is integral with the drip plug body I02 thereof, while in the case of the T fitting of Fig. 5 the T head 50 screws upon the pipe threaded nipple I53 of the drip plug body I02 by means of the pipe tapped socket 252. 'I'he other ends of the drip plug bodies I02 are provided with the pipe threaded portions 253 which screw into the pipe tapped sockets |54 in the bearing element or in the mounting structure |03.

'I'he 'drip plug structure of Fig. 6, as well as the stem of the structure of Fig. 5 are generally similar and have each an inlet socket 5| in `which is positioned a felt strainer 52 having a are turned over at 6I to hold the felt 52 in position, while ln the embodiment 0f FIB. 6 the felt is annularly held in position by means of the' bevel-carrying thimble 4 In all'of the embodiments previously described, the apical angles of 50 degrees for the coupling sleeves I1, 55 degrees for the mounting bevel I 6, and 140 degrees for the coupling nut bevel 30 are given'by way of illustration, and it is possible to varythese angles so long as the tapered coupling sleeve I1 is accurately aligned and gripped with much greater force by the bevel I6 than by the turning edge or round 2| during screwing up of the coupling nut or bushing. The apical angles of the tapers I8 and I9 of the coupling sleeve I1 shouldalways be substantially more than 36 to 40 degrees so that `the coupling sleeve will not be so thin as not to oier any substantial resistance to crushing forces exerted by the coupling nut or bushing 20. At the same time the apical angles should not be made substantially greater than about 60 degrees as otheroperatingbevel I6 on the fixed member in the preferred form has a slightly greater apical angle than the taper I9 so that there will be a little divergence between the outer edges of the taper I9 and I6 during the initial stages of the clamping operation, which divergence will be substan- :1.

tially or in a large part eliminated atthe termination of the clamping operation. In certain cases it may also be desired to give the clamping bevel I6 a materially lesser angle than the sleeve 2| will solely serve to clamp and crimp the upper edge of the sleeve I1.

Although the coupling arrangement of the present invention may be widely applied to pipes .of varying diameter, it iinds a particular application to copper or brass tubing having al, inch or 135 inch overall diameter with threads respecfVv tively, of 1% inch to inch, the wall thickness in these cases being either about 0.025 inch or 51, inch.

In the construction shown au parte, .with the exception of the sleeve 4I and with the optional exception of the rigid member I0 and the junction 28, are made of brass. In certain cases,

however,.the coupling sleeve I1 may be made of a harder metal than brass, such as bronze, so as to decrease the amount 'of crimping and defamation of the sleeve during the clamping operation.

vIn assembling the mounting arrangement in any and all of the embodiments, the coupling nut 20 and the couplingl sleeve I1 are slipped successively over the pipe end Il and the pipe end is then bottomed upon the ledge I3 within the socket (in Fig. 3 after the thimble 4| has been press-tted into the socket l0). In applying the coupling nut 20, the compression sleeve is forced axially inward into wedging engagement with the .mountingbevel I6 and is aligned thereby. In this operation, the wedging engagement between the compression coupling sleeve effective radius and area of the frustrated conical surface of contact lli-I9 as compared to the relatively small effective radius and. area of the surface of contact I8-2I, the coupling sleeve will beheld by greater frictional force or with greater security in respect to the mounting structure I than with respect to the rotating and advancing coupling'nutA 20. Accordingly, in the rotation and tightening of the coupling nut 20, the coupling sleeve I1 will stand still, so that there is no danger of exerting torque upon or twisting the pipe I4. In the last stages of the coupling operation, the turning bevel v2I of the coupling nut 20 will force the outer bevelled edge I8 of the compression coupling sleeve I'I inward to crimp the pipe end I4 and will also Wedge the extreme end I9 of said coupling sleeve I1 into the space between the pipe end I4 and the bevel I6, crimping the pipe to a lesser degree and effecting a liquid-tight connection.

' Whenever, for purpose of repair, it is desired to remove or takeA apart a terminal' fitting or change a drip plug or the length of pipe leading to the same, it is merely necessary to unscrew the coupling nut 20 and to remove the pipe length I4, which can be readily separated from the mount-` ing socket, the compression coupling sleeve I1 however, being securely and substantially irremovably clamped to said pipe. If the pipe length is to be replaced, anew compression sleeve need merely be provided on the substituted length of pipe and the same coupling nut may be reused.

In certain embodiments of the present inveniton, instead of utilizing separate flow metering devices, as shown upon Figs. 5 and 6, the coupling sleeve II may be provided with a single taper and/or may be enlarged and provided with ow controlling and obstructing elements or the coupling sleeve may be bottomed in a conical depression in an element inserted or bottomed in a socket, or particularly when single tapered, upon a ledge on such an element, the present application constituting a continuation in part of my prior applications Serial No. 22,104 led April l0, 1925, now Patent No. 1,943,326, and Se` rial No. 93,582 filed March l0, 1926, now Patent No. 1,862,482, in which modifications of this character are disclosed.

The steel sleeves 4I, shown in Figs.' 3, 4, 5 and 6 may be omitted and the depression I6' formed directly in the protruding nipples I0 if the metal material of the nipple I0 has sucient strength or thickness, to withstand the substantial out# ward wedging force exerted thereupon during the coupling operation, which in the case of brass should be a thickness of substantially 1A; inch or greater. When there is a possibility that such steel sleeves 4I be subjected to a substantial twisting or turning strain as would be liable to result in their turning within the sockets 40, said sleeves may be knurled as at 45 (see particu-4 larly Figs. 3 and 3A).

To ensure a more satisfactory wedging operation between the conical depressions I6 and the tapers I9, the outer edges of said depressions I6 are preferably rounded, as indicated at y35 upon Fig. 1 and 35 on Fig. 3, said rounds in one embcdiment being approximately 31; inch or 0.20 inch-0.25 inch. V In Fig. 7 is shown the coupling arrangement of Figs. `3, 4, 5 and 6 after the csupling nut 20 has been tightened causing the tapered edges of the coupling sleeve I1' to be deformed, as inddicated at |00 and IOI, into the pipe I4. It will be noted that the deformation IOI at the reinforcing thimble 4I will be of much greater depth or elongation than the deformation |00 at the nose 2| of the coupling nut 20'. It

.wil'l be noted that the coupling sleeve wedges over a much greater area and at a much greater radius with the thimble III than it does with the coupling nut 20'.

By the expression coupling nut as utilized in the accompanying claims is included either the Subject matter shown and described ,in the present application but notl claimed herein" is shown and described in applications, Serial No. 22,104, filed April 10, 1925, now Patent No. 1,943,326; Serial No. 93,582, filed March 10, 1926, now Patent No. 1,862,482; and Serial No. 727,719, filed May 26, 1934, and the present application is a ,continuation in part of the first two mentioned applications. As indicated in application Serial No. 727,719, the sleeve and the coupling nut may be preassembled together as a single unit before the sleeve is crimped or deformed onto the tubing end.

As many changes could bemade in the above construction, and many apparently widely-different embodiments of this invention could be made without 'departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim 1. In a conduit system for a lubricating installation in combination, a mounting structure provided w'ith a bored and threaded nipple, the outer portion of which bore is provided with a thimble carrying an inwardly projecting abutment shoulder and with a clamping conical depression, a pipe end inserted into said bore and abutting said shoulder, a tapped cap nut encircling said pipe end, provided interiorly with a bevelled portion and screwed upon s'aid threaded nipple and a double tapered coupling sleeve structure clamped between said cap and said thimble within said tapped cap cavity, the coacting clamping surfaces being so constructed and arranged that the sleeve structure will resist turning with greater effect due to its contact with .the mounting structure than it will tend toturn due to its conact with the rotated coupling cap, saidvnut and said sleeve structure being provided with highly outwardly diverging contacting surfaces, the divergence being of such magnitude that upon deformation of the sleeve structure such deformation will not result in the sleeve structure expanding to wedge at the divergent surface of the nut, the cooperating tapers, conical depression and the cap bevel having respectively angularities of about 50, 55 and 140, so that they contact closely adjacent to the pipe wall which they encircle and so that the contacting conical depression and cooperating taper diverge substantially less than the contacting cap bevel and cooperating taper.

2. In a coupling arrangement including a pair of coupling elements and a pipe end, one of said members being provided with a socket carrying v structure with an abutment to receive and stop said pipe end and the other taking the form of an annular nut body encircling said pipe end, said elements being rmly attached to each other by a threaded connection and each of said members being provided with oppositey internal tapered coupling surfaces, the combination therewith, of a sleeve structure having opposed tapered surfaces tapered to a thin edge, one tapered surface engaging the corresponding tapered surface on one of the coupling mem-I bers and the thin edge of the `other tapered surface contacting with a more abrupt tapered surface on the other coupling member, said nut and said sleeve structure being provided with highly outwardly diverging contacting surfaces, the divergence being of such magnitude that upon l deformation of the sleeve structure such deformation will not result in the sleeve expanding to wedge at the divergent surface of the nut.

3. A tubing terminal arrangement comprising a mounting structure provided with a bore, the outer portion of which is provided with an abutment for the tubing end, with an outwardly divergent conical depression and a threaded portion, a tubing end abutting against said abut- 'ment and passing through` said threaded portion and said conical depression, a threaded v nut screwed to said threaded portion encircling said Y rotated bushing.

4. A tubing terminal arrangement comprising a mounting structure provided with a bore, the

outer portion of which is provided with an abutment for the end of the tubing with an outwardly divergent conical depression and with al threaded portion beyond said abutment, a tubing end against said abutment and passing through said threaded portion and said conical depression, a threaded nut member screwed-to said l threaded portion, encircling said tubing end and rhaving a clamping edge and a double oppositely tapered coupling sleeve structure also encircling said tubing end clamped between said nut member and said structure and contacting with said depression within the socket and with the clamping edge at the end of the nut member, the eiiective radius of contact between the clamping edge and coupling sleeve structure being substantially less than the effective radius of contact between the conical depression and' the coupling sleeve structure, the coupling sleeve structure being maintained substantially rigid with the mounting Y structure by wedging with the conical depression l and being crimped against the tubing end during the assembly operation.

5. A tubing terminal arrangement comprising a mounting structure provided with a bore, the outer portion of which is provided with an abut- .mentfor the tubing end, with an outwardly divergent conical depression and a threaded portion, a tubing end abutting against said abutment and passing through said threaded portion V and said conical depression, a threaded nut screwed-to said-threaded portion encircling said tubing end and having at its inner end a clamping edge and-a double tapered coupling sleeve structure also encircling said tubing end clamped' between said nut and said abutment and contacting with said depression within the socket and .with the clamping edge at the end of the nut, such contacting surfaces being so constructed and arranged that the sleeve structure will resist turning with greater eiect due4 to its contact with the mounting structure than it'will tend to turn due to its contact with the rotated nut, the contacting conical depression andv the coupling sleeve taper being of substantially the same angularity while the contacting nut bevel and other coupling sleeve taper are of substantiallydifferent angularity and outwardly divergent.

6.' A tubing terminal arrangement comprising a mounting structure provided with a bore, the outer portion of which is provided with an abutment for the tubing end, with an outwardly divergent conical depression and a threaded portion, a tubing end abutting against said abutmentand passing through said threaded portion and said conical depression, a threadedv nut screwed to said threaded portion encircling said tubing end and having at its inner end a clamping edge and a double tapered coupling sleeve structure also encircling said tubing end clamped fbetween said nut and said abutment and contacting with said depression within the socket and with the clamping edge at the end of the nut, such contacting surfaces being so constructed and arranged that the sleeve structure will resist turning with greater effect due to its l.

contact with the mounting structure than it will tend to turn due to its contact with the rotated nut, the cooperating tapers, conical depression and clamping edge contacting closely adjacent to the tubing wall which -they encircle.

7. A tubing terminal arrangement comprising a mounting structure provided with a bore, the

outer portion of which is provided with an abutment means for the tubing, with an outwardly divergent conical depression means and a threaded connection associated with said mounting structure, a tubing end stopped against said abutment means and passing through said threaded connection and said conical depression means, a threaded nut screwed to said threaded connection encircling said tubing end and having at its inner end a clamping edge and a double tapered coupling sleeve also encircling saidtubing end, clamped between said nut and said abutment means and contacting with said conical depression means and with the clamping edge at the end of the nut, such contacting surfaces be` ing so constructed and arranged that the sleeve will resist turning with greater effect due to its contact withthe mounting structure 'than it will tend to turn due to its contact withthe rotated nut, the effective radius of contact'between the clamping edge and coupling sleeve being substan-` tially less than the effective radius of contact between the conical depression means and the coupling sleeve, whereby during the assembly operation the coupling sleeve is maintained substantially rigid with the mounting structure by wedging with the conical depression means and is crimped against the tubing end.

8. Means for coupling tubing and a fitting oi -relatively soft metallic material, said fitting being provided with a bored and threaded annular nipple portion, the outer part of which nipple portion is provided with a thimble of relatively resistant material having an abutmentvmeans to contactwith said fitting and a depression means, av double tapered couplingsleeve encircling said tubing and having one end mating said depression means in said thimble, a coupling nut engaging the other end of said coupling sleeve. said nut when threaded yupon said nipple portion wedging said coupling: sleeve between said nut and said thimble so thatithe inner and outer ends of the coupling sleeve are deformed inwardly to grip the pipe. l

9. In a conduit system for a lubricating installation, in combination. a mounting structure provided with a bored and threaded nipple of soft metal, the outer portion of which bore is enlarged, a hard metal cylindrical thimble tted into said enlargement and provided with an annular clamping portion adjacent its outer end, a

pipe end inserted into said thimble and enlargement and stopped thereby, a tapped cap nut encircling said pipe end and screwed upon said threaded nipple and a tapered couplingisleeve means between said cap and said thimble Within said tapped cap cavity.

10. In a conduit system for a lubricting installation, in combination, a mounting structure provided with a bored and threaded nipple of soit metal, the outer portion of which bore is enlarged, a hard metal cylindrical thimble itted into .said enlargement and provided with an annular clamping portion adjacent its outer end, a pipe end inserted into said thimble and enlargement and stopped thereby, a tapped cap nut encircling said pipe end and screwed upon said threaded nipple and a tapered coupling sleeve means between said cap and said thimble within said tapped cavity, in which the thimble is provided with an abutment shoulder against which said pipe end abuts.

11. In a conduit system for a lubricting installation, in combination, a mounting structure provided with a bored and threaded nipple, the outer portion of which bore is enlarged, a cylindrical thimble tted into said enlargement and provided with an annular clamping portion adjacent its -outer end, a pipe end inserted into said thimble and enlargement. and stopped thereby, a tapped cap nut encircling said pipe end and screwed upon said threaded nipple and a tapered coupling sleeve means between said cap and said thimble within said tapped cap cavity, in which the nipple, coupling means and cap are of brass, while the thimble is of steel.

EDWARD H. ROCHER. 

